Inconsistent OAL on LnL 9mm

[Snapcap]

Maybe I'm overlooking something simple. The OAL of the 9mm rounds I load on my LnL are wildly inconsistent.

Let's say I adjust for a 1.105 for my SP01. Then I run several more singles through to validate the OAL

I start loading and periodically check length during the batch. Now I find varying lengths from 1.105 up to 1.119? WTH?

I'm using Lee bullet seat and separate Lee crimp die. Case lengths, while no trimmed, just aren't that different. Doesn't seem to matter what projectiles I load, but mostly berrys 124 hollow point and Xtreme 147 hollow point.

Help is appreciated.

[ewthursby]

Screw your sizing die in a quarter turn past where it contacts the shell plate. That makes sure you get complete sizing and takes most of the slop out of the ram and shell plate. You should feel the handle cam over every time you cycle the press.

Your OAL length will be slightly different from loading singles vs using the press in full progressive mode due to the full shell plate. In full progressive loading you will probably have rounds ~0.005" longer than if loaded by "single loading" with the same die settings.

Hope that helps.

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[louu]

Check out this thread

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=228902&hl=

[9x45]

The only thing that doesn't change on progressives are the dies and shell plate, assuming proper adjustment. what varies is the bullet diameters and case wall thickness, these changes will cause differences in seating pressure, hence small variations in OAL. A properly adjusted full station progressive should maintain about +/- .004" in OAL. Small changes in case length are irrelevant because that doesn't affect the die/shell plate position.

[Snapcap]

Thank you all.

[balmo]

Check OAL with all stations filled. I've noticed running one round on the shell plate is ~0.010 shorter compared to a full shell plate. I only get variance of +-0.002 on my LnL which is pretty amazing.

[noylj]

1) be sure shell plate is tight and will just move smoothly. I don't know if Hornady recommends "cam-over" with the L-N-L AP.

2) measure your bullets and determine the OAL variance of them before you even seat them. You might be very surprised.

3) buy a box of factory ammo or borrow a buddy's and see how factory COL varies. You might be very surprised

3) generally, if you can't SEE the difference, it really makes no difference.

4) shoot them and see if they make any difference. Don't sweat things that don't affect what you are trying to achieve.

5) COL variance is NOT a specific press issue, but very much the nature of ALL progressive presses.

[anachronism]

As strange as it sounds, all swaged bullets from any manufacturers vary a bit in nose length to some degree. To eliminate this potential, the manufacturers would have to swage one bullet at a time, in only one swage die. Things like ogive variances will affect OAL. I'd do a little more detective work to see if this is actually what you're experiencing, because there are a number of potential causes here.